Chapter 217 - Arranging a Battle
Seeing this, the Third Red’s complexion changed dramatically. He wanted once again to help but it was already too late.
Just at this moment, a ray of blue light flew from the girl dressed in white imperial robes. After a twirl in the air, it transformed into an elderly figure, half human and half fish. A crimson crown of coral laid on its head and a jade-green robe wrapped around its body. With a blink of its eyes and a tug of its sleeve, a powerful aura billowed forth from it.
There was a “pu” sound.
The two auras crashed together, and filled the surrounding air with a “weng weng” sound and produced seismic waves of shocking strength, blowing the jade boat backwards quite a bit.
Though the complexions of the girl dressed in white imperial robes and the two others with her changed dramatically, they had not suffered any injuries.
“Resorting to your other Crystal Level Spirit Glyphs – looks like you’re not a typical descendent of the Red Scale Clan.” Ye Tianmei observed that her careless attack was unsuccessful but did not have the urge to strike again. As she gazed towards the girl in white imperial robes, however, she subconsciously felt slightly more imposing.
“Hmph, it’s lucky that the Divine Secret Niece was not injured in this attack; otherwise your Heavenly Moon Sect and my Red Scale Clan would be at war.” After seeing that the “Divine Secret Goddess” was unharmed, Third Red let out a deep breath as he spoke. Like a ghost, his body evaporated into a haze and appeared on the jade boat, clearly on guard against any further attacks from Ye Tianmei on the Divine Secret Goddess.
The girl in white imperial robes and the two others with her hastily bowed towards the skinny man.
“Divine Secret? Could it be that she is that Saint Maiden of your Red Scale Clan?” Hearing this, Ye Tianmei seemed to be quite taken aback.
“I am indeed the Divine Secret; I never imagined that Elder Ye knew of my name. I am truly flattered.” The Divine Secret Goddess had been taken aback by Ye Tianmei’s sudden attack. When the Third Red appeared on the jade boat, however, her heart was once again toughened.
“Hmph, I remember! I don’t care that you deceived those Loose Cultivators in Haiyue Country but if you try those same techniques in our Da Xuan Country, even if you’re the Red Scale Clan’s Saint Maiden, I’ll kill you at once.” Hearing these words, Ye Tianmei snorted coldly.
“Fellow Ye’s words are a threat right in front of me.” Though the Third Red was deeply afraid of Ye Tianmei, he couldn’t help but to express his anger upon hearing her words.
“It is not a threat but your Red Scale Clan had better not do in our Da Xuan Country what you did in Haiyue Country. Also, what is this Saint Maiden of yours saying about taking back those of your race remaining in Xuanjing? Are we, the five sects, blind? She dares to speak these words that could only fool a child, before me? Now that I’m here, do you really think you will be allowed to take your people back with a few pleasantries?” Ye Tianmei responded, her eyebrows slowly raising.
Hearing the rudeness in Ye Tianmei’s speech, there was a slight change in both the Third Red’s and the Divine Secret’s complexions. They glanced at each other and the skinny man said with an amused tone, “If Fellow Ye really wishes to be so impolite, then let me ask: how can I be allowed to remove those of my clan? Fellow Ye shouldn’t be mistaken that since this land belongs to your race, you can make excessive demands. If I choose to engage in any method, I can still wreak havoc in your Da Xuan County.” Third Red said sinisterly.
“I never thought that this was the true face of a famed Sea Race Crystal Level Cultivator. As you said, unless any other Crystal Level Cultivators present themselves, the two of us indeed fear one another and neither wishes to wage war here to spark a full-on war between our two races. Don’t say that I haven’t shown you respect, Fellow Red. We will have a competition to determine whether or not you will be able to remove three people of your race from the palace. The others must sacrifice themselves before me. After all, this matter was your Sea Race making trouble in my Da Xuan Country. Our five sects must make an example.” Ye Tianmei was silent for a moment before lightly speaking.
“What?! These fellow intend for me to tell members of my clan to sacrifice themselves?!” Hearing these words, the Third Red’s face was full of rage.
“If this fellow does not assent, then Ye Tianmei will have no choice but to engage you in a battle of life or death. If you chooses not to fight and retaliates against the juniors, I, Ye Tianmei warns you - for every junior member of our five sects which you kill, I will travel to the depths of the sea to kill ten members of the Sea Race of the same rank.” Ye Tianmei’s crystal eyes radiated a cold light, and she spoke without a trace of an expression.
The utter determination in her voice was apparent to all.
Hearing this, Third Red’s complexion changed drastically.
If there were truly to be a Crystal Level Sword Cultivator in the sea killing ordinary members of the Sea Race left and right…the utter horror of this carnage was too much for him to bear.
“There is no need for Elder Ye to get angry. My Third Uncle has not said definitively that he will not accept your proposition. But what do you mean when you say that a competition will determine the people who are to be removed?” The Divine Secret Goddess, eyebrows raised, suddenly asked with a hint of a smile.
“Simple. In a moment, you will choose the three members of your race who you would like to remove from the palace. They will then face off against members of equal rank from our two sects. If they win, they can go with you. If they lose, they will remain here forever.” Ye Tianmei responded stoically.
“Three is not enough. It must be ten.” A contemplative expression showed on the Divine Secret Goddess’ face before she spoke without hesitation.
“I will not allow ten. The most I will allow is five, not one more.” Brows furrowed, Ye Tianmei spoke coldly.
“Then five it is. However, there is no need for them to fight one-by-one. How about they all fight together.” After a moment of consideration, the Divine Secret Goddess responded in one breath.
“Battle together?! Seems as though you would like all of them to perish or all of them to leave as one. Alright, I accept.”
“Divine Secret Niece, how can you agree to this? What if they…. Alright, as we have already settled on a group battle, let it be.” Third Red’s face darkened; he had wanted to say something, but after the Divine Secret Goddess suddenly said something to him, his expression changed as he agreed, and changed course.
“Now then – you can send someone into the palace to have those juniors remove the barrier. Then, after the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, they will battle outside the palace.” Though Ye Tianmei thought it was strange that Third Red changed his mind, at this point there was nothing that could be negotiated further. Besides, she was very confident about the outcome of this battle.
Therefore, in the next moment, the Divine Secret Goddess flew towards the palace herself, and pulled out a token. After waving it at the light barrier, she passed through the barrier in a flash.
Within the light barrier, the large group of Sea Race guards who had been there all along were waiting respectfully and flew along to guide her into the depths of the palace.
At the same time, Ye Tianmei descended towards the bronze flying chariot.
The three Heavenly Moon Sect Spirit Masters – Zhou Tianhe and the others – immediately followed suit and flew back to the chariot, and once again bowed before this great Crystal Level Elder.
On the other side, Master Lei barked out the command to move the bone boat over to them.
“Aunt Ye, if you had not been here to save us, I fear that we would have been greatly harmed by that Crystal Level Cultivator of the Sea Race.” Master Lei bowed towards Ye Tianmei from a distance as he spoke.
One could say that Ye Tianmei was a legend of Da Xuan Country for nearly thousands of years. In not even one hundred years, she had reached the Crystal Level, and her Cultivation Method – Path of the Sword – was much more difficult to make advances in than the other Cultivation Paths.
Therefore, though on the one hand Master Lei was usually obstinate, on the other hand, in the presence of a girl who appeared to be in her twenties, he was very respectful.
Meanwhile, Liu Ming had joined Master Lei in saluting the girl dressed in silver imperial robes. Though after a moment of astonishment, he realized that this girl was none other than the one who had killed the Green-haired Demon Rat. The mysterious girl who had given him a tremendous opportunity. However, his face remained expressionless.
“Nephew Lei, no need for such reverence. After communicating with Senior Leng Yue and Fellow Yan, I came here just in case! But I never thought that the sea race would have sent a Crystal Level Cultivator.” Ye Tianmei, spoke lightheartedly, and glanced over Master Lei and the others, her gaze momentarily fixated on Liu Ming.
“So this was Uncle Yan and Elder Leng Yue’s plan all along. But for these members of the Sea Race, even a Crystal Level Cultivator has been mobilized. It seems that those of the Sea Race trapped have a very important status in their race. However, the suggestion of a five-person group battle might be some kind of a conspiracy.” Lin Caiyu spoke very cautiously.
“As this was their suggestion for the battle, of course they are conspiring. However, I naturally had my own reasons for suggesting this battle in the first place. ‘Xiu Niang’ show yourself.” Ye Tianmei flashed a smile. With a wave of her hand, there was a flash of white sparks and from its center emerged a young girl carrying a snowy-white sword, face flush with a determined aura.
It was none other than the Sword Communication Spirit Body of Zhang Xiu Niang!
This girl had been kept concealed under a spell by Ye Tianmei, and only now was released.
“Xiu Niang greets martial uncles.” Upon revealing herself, the girl bowed towards the Spirit Masters.
“Niece Zhang is actually here. Now we will surely win this battle without a doubt. After all, was Niece Zhang not preparing to undergo a training retreat to push for the Spirit Masters realm, right? Why has Aunt Ye brought her here?” That female cultivator in her thirties of the Heavenly Moon Sect was at first quite delighted at what she saw before slight tinges of doubt showed on her face.
“I brought Xiu Niang because I heard that there was recently a Heavenly Star Aura Qi in Xuanjing. I will see whether or not it’s real, and if Xiu Niang’s physique is suitable. If it is indeed possible, can use this Pure Aura Qi to create her Symbol Qi.” Ye Tianmei spoke in an unwavering tone.
“I see. How about we let Niece Hu take care of the Heavenly Star Aura Qi. She is the Supervising Disciple of Xuanjing; finding Pure Aura Qi will be easy for her.” Zhou Tianhe listened before respectfully responding.
“Was it you who discovered that there were members of the sea race in Xuanjing? Oh, you and Xiu Niang are cousins. Great – if you are able to find the fall of the Heavenly Star Aura Qi for me, I can take you on as my Sword Cultivation disciple for two years. Additionally, why don’t you serve as one of the five in the battle.” After secretly saying these two sentences to Zhang Xiu Niang, she glanced to the side at Hu Chun Niang, and her face showed a hint of affability for the first time.